Green Oasis

Today is Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. As has become my custom, in the best spirit of ecumenism, I’m going to give up something for the next 40 days (not including Sundays during which one is traditionally forbidden to fast). In the past, I’ve used Lent to try on new habits or lifestyles. For example, I’ve given up sugary foods for Lent in the past. After Lent is over, I will sometimes decide to keep my new lifestyle around if I like it.

This year, it’s a tough call for me. It’s been such a year of change already that I feel that I should take it slow this year, just so I don’t burn out. So this year, for the record, I’m swearing of the sterile teat of the god of procrastination, the ravisher of family togetherness, that vacuous spawn of Philo T. Farnsworth, television (except for the exceptional stuff that I’ve scheduled which doesn’t include (much to my regret (how deeply nested are we now? (does anyone care? (maybe I should have given up speaking parenthetically (where’s Emacs when I need it? (can I get some help from the Lisp hackers in the crowd?)))))) stuff like House).

A happy benefit is that I’ll be ahead of the game for TV Turnoff Week 2007.